Beauty and the Beast (Something There that Wasn't There Before)
by melicitysmoak
Summary: Felicity Smoak takes her father's place in Queen Consolidated as head of Applied Sciences, where she has to work with a horribly obnoxious boss in the person of Oliver Queen. Unknown to her, he is under more pressure than just the demands of running his family's company. Unknown to him, she can see right through his facade. There might be something special there after all.
1. Chapter 1

**BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Something There That Wasn't There Before)**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or its characters. They belong to DC, the CW, and Warner Bros. I also do not own Beauty and the Beast. It belongs to Disney.**

 **Also, in true fairy tale fashion, I hurried to finish and post this "before the clock strikes twelve," so all mistakes are mine. I hope you enjoy this!**

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 **Chapter 1**

Felicity Smoak loved her father. She and he were so much alike. From their intellectual abilities and nerdy personalities to their technical adeptness in tearing apart any kind of tech to pieces and putting them back together again, with the enthusiasm of typical teenagers set loose in a ride-all-you-can theme park, she and her father had too much in common that people might mistake them for twins if not for their gender and age difference. Everything about her – except for her golden blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, which she got from her mother Donna – was proof that Noah Kuttler was indeed her father, even if her parents were not married.

Noah had been in Felicity's life from the very beginning, even though he and Donna had decided it was for the best that they were not together. He had led a complicated past, which Donna always knew was the understatement of understatements. For her, marrying him would be detrimental to their her (and her daughter's) sanity and safety, but he had expressed his desire to be in his daughter's life somehow, so they had compromised to co-parent.

Noah came to visit them in Vegas every other month, bringing them gifts and spending quality time with Felicity for a few days. This was how it had been since she was an infant, and so she had never felt like she did not have a father growing up. When she was little, Noah and Donna had always told her that Daddy had to work some place far to give her everything she needed. Of course, in time, Felicity's smarts had led her to figure out the truth, at least, the gist of it.

She had understood early in her teen years that her parents were not legally together, even if to this day she still tried to figure out why they couldn't be. She had always respected whatever reasons they gave. She did not hate them, and oddly so, she was sure that she wasn't bitter towards either one of them, for they had always shown her how much they loved her and put her best interests first. She had just wished they could be a family, but she hadn't wallowed in self-pity over it, choosing instead to count the blessings of having both a father and a mother in her life when there were many young women out there who didn't have either or both. She was thankful that everything she needed had been provided for, all her life, including her dream of going to MIT like her father had, to major in Computer Science up to the graduate level.

Just a few months after Felicity graduated from her master's and returned to Vegas, Noah had suffered a massive stroke. He had become bed-ridden and could no longer work. He had no family to take care of him, so Felicity had arranged for him to be flown to Vegas so that she and her mother could take care of him. Except, it turned out that only Donna would be taking care of her dad.

Felicity had been dumbfounded at her dad's very unusual request. Noah had asked her – no, he _told_ her that she would be taking his place as the head of the Applied Sciences Division of Queen Consolidated in Starling City. First, she was shocked that her father had been working for one of the largest, if not the largest, tech empires in the country for several years now, and that he had outranked every other IT specialist in the company. Finally, it had made sense to her how he was able to afford flying to and from Vegas all those years just to spend time with her, to buy her all those gadgets and gizmos that she had asked for each time he visited, and to send her off to Boston to study, complete with room and board and monthly allowances for all of five years.

Second, she was shocked that her father would pass on such a mantle of leadership, influence, prestige, and expertise to her. Of course, her father was well aware of her IQ level, her MENSA membership, and the fact that she had graduated at the top of her class, but Felicity was convinced that it took more than those qualities and achievements to hold such a position in a Fortune 500 company. To her, what was even more incredulous was the fact that the acting President and CEO of Queen Consolidated had agreed to this arrangement at all, considering he did not know her, let alone met her. Sure, Walter Steele and her dad had become very good friends through the years. But why in the world would a seasoned businessman like Mr. Steele take the good word that her father had put in for a novice like her just like that? It didn't make sense to her at all.

Noah pleaded with her and explained that she was the only person he trusted, not only to continue his legacy in the company, to carry on his life's work, to complete his unfinished projects, and to keep all these confidential and safe from corporate espionage. Felicity caved. In light of those reasons, it was no wonder that Mr. Steele had backed up her father's forced retirement and the contingent plan to keep the company's technology division progressing and safeguarded.

As soon as the Board of Directors voted unanimously to have her on board, Felicity bid her parents goodbye and flew to Starling City. She left home, moved to a new city, and took the challenging job of leading an entire division full of strangers. She did, because she loved and honored her dad. She was absolutely sure that she would (and could) do anything for him.

But Felicity was not prepared for what was in store for her in QC. When she met QC's Vice President, the son of the former owner and CEO, the late Robert Queen, she doubted whether or not she had made the right decision. Felicity had never been one to second-guess herself, for the most part of her life, but in less than a week of working with her immediate superior, she was already wondering how she was going to follow through with her dad's wishes in the next month or so.

Oliver Queen was a horrible person. In fact, she thought she had never met someone as horrible as him. He was broody and moody. Snobbish. Rude. Insensitive and inconsiderate. Hard to please. In her first two weeks in the company, Mr. Queen had already changed executive assistants three times. Rumor has it, his past EAs had never lasted a week in the last year and a half since he took over Walter Steele's position in the company when Mr. Queen Sr. passed away. They were either turned off by his insufferable manners or scared away by his short-temperedness.

Felicity tried everything to make a good impression on her boss, but it seemed that Oliver's standards of a job well done were higher than the bar of perfection. Hardly anything she did was good enough, and in the rare times that it was, he still didn't think it was worth a compliment. Worse, of all the things he would comment on in the rare occasions that he did, it was those that had nothing to do with her work in Applied Sciences. Instead, he'd criticize how the tapping of her heels annoyed him, or how the colors she painted her nails with were distracting, or how her ponytail was either too high or too low depending on his mood.

Once, when she'd made it through almost a month in QC and she thought she couldn't take his obnoxious traits and irritable remarks anymore, she had called in sick. It was not exactly a lie, for she was sick and tired of his despicable behavior, not just towards her, but also towards everyone – with the exception of his younger sister Thea Queen and his black driver and bodyguard John Diggle.

If not for the encouraging words of her father whenever she called, Felicity would have quit her job already. Her dad reminded her that she had always been able to see something good in every person, even those that most people would easily dismiss as unlovable or strange. And her dad was right. In all honesty, Felicity could somehow see that underneath Oliver Queen's nasty, egotistical façade, there was a soft spot – a sadness, emptiness, restlessness, and loneliness that tried to fool people into thinking that he didn't need anyone in his life. She could see it in his eyes, whenever their eyes met unintentionally. She could see it in the way his thumbs rubbed against his index fingers whenever he was anxious or tense, and in the way his shoulders drooped at the end of a long, challenging day or when a business deal went south.

"Too bad," she told herself that one time when Oliver blew his temper in the middle of a meeting with her and the members of her team. Once again, she thought that his numerous unpleasant qualities blurred certain pleasant things that should be plain for others to see in him. Truth be told, Felicity actually thought that Oliver's frequently frowning face was essentially handsome, and that he had the impressive physique of a supermodel slash fitness trainer. In her eyes, that awful-ly gorgeous and attractive billionaire brat was impossible!... to _not_ notice. Especially when she had to work with him and report to him almost every day of the work week.

Even more so, Felicity could somehow see that Oliver Queen was more than just a pretty face marred by a repulsive personality. She could see behind the trappings of a self-absorbed one-percenter with a long history of failed relationships. She saw glimpses of the tender and caring man that he was on the inside, the one that only a handful of people got to witness firsthand. She saw how relaxed he could be in the presence of his long-time friend Thomas Merlyn. She noticed how considerate Oliver was of his driver and bodyguard, John Diggle. She observed how thoughtful and protective he was of his younger sister Thea whenever she dropped by his office. She recognized the caring son that he was when he hugged and kissed his mother on the cheek on both occasions that Moira Queen had passed by to see him and Mr. Steele about company matters. And just the other day at the end of their private meeting in his office, she had overheard him talking on his phone with a woman named Raisa whom he had quite politely requested to make him his favorite Russian pastry for a late snack when he got home. It was then that she knew: there was more to Oliver Queen than meets the eye.

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Oliver wondered what made Felicity Smoak tick. She'd been in QC for more than a month now and had put up with his annoying idiosyncrasies and horrid habits. He had noticed her raise her voice a few times when they argued about something at work, but she had never disrespected him in front of others or crossed him, even when her face turned red with anger. Once or twice she had even managed to render him speechless with her brilliant, logical arguments. He certainly admired her for her self-control, but he was also impressed by her smarts and the lightness that she had about her. He never smiled or showed her his pearly whites even when he appreciated her about something, yet the truth is, every day she never failed to amuse him with her uncontrollable babbles, adorable quirks, and hilarious innuendos. She had made coming to QC day in and day out something to look forward to since she arrived.

He did not want to be involved in the family business. Not before his father died, not after. He had always thought that he wasn't cut out to be a CEO or a business tycoon like his father. Unmet expectations had made his parents disappointed, especially when he failed to graduate in any of the Ivy League schools that his father had sent him to. He wasn't Robert Queen, Jr. And he didn't want to be. So, he had rebelled at the thought and at the future that awaited him when his father was diagnosed with a terminal disease that had eventually taken his life. Oliver hadn't been prepared to walk in his father's shoes – not when his father passed, not still. He had convinced himself that he wasn't worthy to do so because of how messed up his life had been since he hit puberty. All the drinking and the misdemeanors, and the girls – common sense had dictated that he was disqualified from ever becoming successful like his parents. If his parents had been disappointed in him, he had always been twice as disappointed in himself as they were.

John Diggle, the friend who was more than just his black driver, had been trying to convince him that he didn't have to live that way, believing self-deprecating lies. John warned him about what he was becoming, and that he was pushing people away even if he was obviously alone and needed caring friends in his life. John told him that people can change for the better if they just put their heart and mind into it.

He had heard the same things from Thea. "You have got to let someone in, Ollie," Thea had said more than once, but he hadn't heeded her advice yet.

Even his mother Moira tried to persuade him to reconsider his options, to shape up or suffer the consequences of his stubbornness.

At the thought of his mother, Oliver was reminded of his father's ultimatum. Robert Queen had his lawyer include as one of the stipulations in his will that if Oliver does not find the right woman to marry him for the right reasons by the time he reaches the age of 30, he will not gain access to his trust fund, and everything he is entitled to as inheritance from his father's estate will be donated to charity. Furthermore, he will not be allowed to assume the position of President and CEO of QC, which was rightfully his as majority stockholder, and his shares will be equally divided among the other stockholders, rendering his family powerless to maintain control over the company (which might eventually result to them losing the company that his father had built over the past three decades).

His 30th birthday was less than a year away. He had no fiancée, no girlfriend, not even a prospect to speak of that would perhaps be willing to go on a date with him.

His thoughts led him to a blue-eyed, blonde beauty with ponytails, painted finger nails, dark-rimmed glassed, and four-inch heels that pleasantly annoyed him every day. Impossible. For what beautiful woman with a beautiful heart could ever learn to love a beast of a man like him?

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 **A/N: This is going to be just a two or three-chapter fic, but it will be the first of a series of fairy tale Arrow/Olicity AUs. The idea is to create a modern version of some favorite Disney fairy tales and having Olicity meet or fall in love in that setting. I wonder if this is a kind of fic that you'd be interested in reading further? The idea just came up in the past the weekend, and I thought it would be nice to celebrate my birthday today by sharing this one with you all. You think so?**

 **Let me clarify that I do not really know the legal stuff about wills, inheritances, and corporate stocks in America. I know a little bit of that where I'm from, as my father was a lawyer. So, let's just assume that I had it correctly, for the purposes of this story, okay? ;-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Something There That Wasn't There Before)**

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 **Chapter 2**

 **Summary: Oliver's back story is told this time. And then a blonde belle in a gold dress captures the heart of the beastly billionaire bachelor.**

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Oliver Queen loved his family. Despite all the headaches and heartaches that he'd put his parents through, he was one hundred percent sure that he loved them. He just didn't know how to show it whilst nurturing a deep-seated resentment ever since he found out about his mother's brief affair with his best friend's dad and how that had caused an irreparable rift between his parents.

Robert Queen had forgiven Moira for her brief affair and infidelity, but their relationship had never been the same after that. Oliver had been old enough to notice the signs of their failed relationship. The day he overheard his mother begging in tears for his father's forgiveness when she had no other choice but to confess her secret sin because of her growing baby bump could no longer hide it – that day had been the turning point in Oliver's life.

Puberty and adolescence had become doubly traumatic, for both his parents and him. He became a rebel. He avoided his parents and stopped communicating with either of them, turning to vices and one miserable relationship after another for temporary relief from the pain that had been eating him up from the inside out. The booze and one-night stands dulled the pain for the most part, but he had awakened each time with more than just the worst case of hangover; he had awakened with guilt and shame and anger, and an insatiable search for a comforting, peaceful light that would yank him out of the darkness he had been groping in. His parents had always suspected that the reason he had started acting out and causing one trouble after another was that he had figured out what had happened between them, but they had never talked to their son about it.

Until Robert Queen had found out he had only months to live. On his sick bed, he had called his son and told him everything in Moira's presence. He confessed that he had been the first one to have been unfaithful in their marriage, and that the only reason why Moira had even considered giving in to Malcolm Merlyn's advances was that she had been terribly lonely and unhappy because of his repeated womanizing.

Oliver had been all the more devastated. His father had pleaded with him to forgive both him and his mother, but at that time, he just could not bring himself to. By the time he had been ready and willing to forgive and to ask his parents for forgiveness for the troubles he had caused them all those years, Robert Queen had passed away. Regret had aggravated Oliver's self-loathing, and it didn't help to learn from his mother and the family's attorney that his father had expected him to someday take his place as President and CEO of Queen Consolidated.

For Oliver, the pressure from his family and from the company's investors had been too much to handle, without the façade of meanness and ill-temperedness, as well as the daily dose of one or a combination of his self-destructive habits and vices. If it had not been for the fact that his despicable demeanor had turned off every woman within his sphere of influence in the past few years, he would still be sleeping with whoever had been foolish enough to still be charmed by his last name and his wallet.

For some strange reason, none of his anger and angst had been directed at his younger sister Thea (that is, his half-sister Thea). On the day she was born, Oliver remembered thinking that she was the most beautiful little thing he had ever seen and held. It hadn't mattered that she had been conceived in less than honorable circumstances. For Oliver, Thea had always been the sibling that he was meant to care for and protect from the harsh realities of life, specifically the life of the privileged who could buy anything they wanted, except the love and acceptance that they truly needed and craved for. Thea had grown up assured of her older brother's love; she knew that Ollie would do anything for her to be safe and happy.

Which was why Oliver had been pacing back and forth at the lobby of the extravagantly decorated ballroom of the hotel where the fundraising auction was about to begin that night. He was waiting for his date, who was already twice as late as he was – his first date in a very long time.

Moira Queen had donated one of her more expensive jewelry sets to the charity event and had ordered both her children to grace the occasion with their presence. His mother had intimated that she was expecting both of them (Oliver, in particular) to bring a date when she informed them that the guest list had room for each of them to bring a plus one. Thea was coming with her boyfriend Roy from college. Tommy was invited, and he was bringing along his girlfriend Laurel Lance, who also happened to be one of Oliver's former girlfriends – the one with whom he had the most complicated history, to put it lightly. Even John Diggle was asked to bring his plus one, and he was more than happy to come to a Queen family event, this time with his wife Lyla.

Oliver had been at a loss over who to ask to be his date for the night of the auction. A few years back, every woman he had attempted to take to dinner, to the company's social functions, or to his family's galas and holiday-themed events, had turned him down – sometimes politely, sometimes not so politely. It had gotten to be so embarrassing and frustrating that he had stopped asking anyone out altogether, especially since that disaster of a date with Helena Bertinelli that had led to a drunken craze and ended up with him peeing on a cop's car – an unfortunate incident, which the press had feasted on to his detriment. The only person he knew would take up his offer without hesitation was Isabel Rochev, one of QC's top executives (and one of his father's former flings) that had perennially and not-so-subtly hinted at indecent proposals. Needless to say, Oliver would rather die than ask Isabel to be his plus one, and he knew that Thea (and his mother) would never forgive him if he stooped so low as to even consider the idea.

It had been Thea's idea that he ask Felicity to be his date tonight. Thea had brought up the idea so candidly and effortlessly, such that she had convinced her brother that Felicity was the perfect date for him, before he even realized what he was agreeing to.

Tommy had backed up his half-sister and teased his best friend. "What's the big deal, Ollie?" Tommy had said. "I distinctly recall you telling me, more than once, that the petite blonde from Vegas, the same girl that has you staring whenever she's not looking, is just… How did you put it?... 'a colleague with whom you have a perfectly professional and platonic relationship.' I'm sure she wouldn't mind keeping you company for one evening, especially since she can obviously put up with your many undesirable traits." Tommy and Thea had laughed their hearts out despite the glares Oliver had sent their way.

Moira had been there, happily drinking her tea and nodding in agreement. Standing silently at his post in the Queen mansion living room, John Diggle had simply smiled.

"How much longer is she going to be?" Oliver asked Diggle. He looked at his gold wristwatch for the nth time. He'd been shifting from one foot to the other, whining not just to his bodyguard but also to his best friend and his sister. "I told you guys that this was a bad idea!"

"Hold your horses, Ollie! You're acting like a spoiled little kid. Then again, you might still be one," Thea remarked.

"Yeah, man! Everything's cool. If it makes you feel any better, Laurel's running late too. I better check on her," Tommy said, turning away from the group to make a call.

"Dig, are you sure she's coming?" Oliver asked impatiently, looking around at the crowd of people, hoping to spot that one girl that he'd been anxious to see all weekend.

The last time he'd seen Felicity was Friday afternoon after an important meeting, when he had finally worked up the courage to ask her to be his plus one to the fundraiser. Felicity had stared at him in disbelief, wide-eyed and mouth gaping. He had held his breath in anticipation. The only reason he had even walked up to her and asked was that he'd been so sure that she would immediately turn him down. How could she even consider being his date after all the times he'd treated her so badly? After a minute that had felt like an hour, a smile had slowly formed on her face, and she had replied with one simple word that would change his life forever. "Yes."

"I never should have agreed to this," Oliver murmured and sighed.

"Well, it's too late to be having second thoughts now, brother dear," Thea said, "because your beautiful date is standing right there."

Oliver turned towards the entrance to the ballroom that Thea directed his attention to, but he was totally unprepared for the incredible sight that greeted him.

On the top step at the entrance stood Felicity Smoak – his colleague with whom he had a perfectly professional and platonic relationship – and she was drop-dead gorgeous. Radiant. Stunning in her gold, sleeveless cocktail dress that ended at mid-thigh, revealing the silky-smooth skin of her well-sculpted limbs. It was the first time Oliver was seeing her with her hair down, styled and curled, and without her dark-rimmed glasses. She was a beautiful sight to behold.

From afar Oliver stood breathless, gazing at his gorgeous date, who was busy texting on her phone, perhaps in an attempt to locate her date. Thea cleared her throat and placed her hand on her brother's arm. "What are you waiting for, Ollie? Go fetch your date," she urged him, with a grin from ear to ear.

Wordlessly, Oliver broke free from his sister's grasp, his feet involuntarily transporting him from where he had stood admiring Felicity to where said object of admiration was. Of course, Diggle was right behind him, followed by Thea and her date, Roy, who had only been shyly observing everything in silence as if he wasn't there at all.

As if sensing his oncoming presence, Felicity looked up. Immediately their eyes met, and for the very first time, she saw a genuinely winsome smile on Oliver Queen's face directed at her. Without even thinking, she rewarded him with an equally charming smile matched by a pinking blush on her cheeks.

When Oliver was just a couple of feet away from her, he said, "Hi, you made it." It was almost like a whisper, but Felicity heard it. She was also able to read his lips – the ones she gazed upon as he approached, aside from his freshly trimmed scruff, his perfectly chiseled face, his ocean-blue eyes, his broad stately shoulders, and the attractive way that his tux fit his exquisitely masculine frame.

"Hello, Oliver," she replied, a little embarrassed by her tardiness. "I'm sorry I'm late. I'm usually not. But this…" She paused, her hand gesturing to their surroundings. "I'm really not used to this. This is the first time I've been to a really formal event here in Starling, and I was feeling a bit nervous. I almost texted you that I wasn't coming." She winced, apologetic that she had contemplated standing him up.

"It's okay. You're here now, and I'm glad you are," Oliver replied, his eyes glistening with the glee that he admitted he was feeling.

Oliver and Felicity were just staring at each other, smiling with heart eyes.

Thea and Diggle exchanged looks, trying so hard not to tease and ruin the magic of the moment. They could not believe that Oliver did not go ballistic at his very late date, the way he usually does when employees at QC failed his expectations. In that moment, they were sure that Oliver Queen had found his match all right: the beautiful belle that would successfully tame the beast within him.

"Well, hello, everyone! I'm thrilled that all of you could make it." It was Moira Queen, regally dressed for the occasion, that had finally broken the romance that electrified the air. She kissed her son and then her daughter, and then she shook hands with their respective dates. "The auction is about to begin," she informed them. "Shall we take our seats?"

Moira guided them into the ballroom that was lavishly decorated for the evening's auspicious affair. The bidders and their guests were seated around elegantly embellished round tables instead of in rows of chairs, which was the norm. The auctioneer stood behind a podium on the stage, with the items to be auctioned off laid on a very long table behind him. The Dearden family jewels were at the very center of the table, as Moira had pointed out to her guests. At the very center of the ballroom was a parquet dance floor. Moira told them that the organizers of the fundraiser had hired the best Big Band orchestra to play live music for ballroom dancing to show appreciation to all those that had donated items to the auction and those who came to bid to raise money for the indigent patients of Starling City General.

"Oliver, dear, you really should take your date to the dance floor later," Moira imperceptibly whispered to her son during the auction proper.

"Mother, you know I don't dance," Oliver replied, with a slight annoyance. He knew exactly what she was trying to do.

But Moira was unperturbed. "She's looking very pretty tonight. Don't you think so? It would be such a disappointment for you not to ask her, even for just one dance. After all, she did politely agree to being your date tonight. Not too many girls have in the last few years."

"Mother…"

"Oliver, don't be so stubborn," Moira reprimanded him. She could not raise her voice at her son in the middle of an auction, especially not in public. (The press was present, and even the paparazzi.) But her voice was just as stern as those times when she rebuked her son in the privacy of their home. "I did not invest in dancing lessons all those years ago just for you to waste a perfectly nice opportunity to dance with a lovely young lady, who happens to be the most intelligent and brilliant woman you have ever had the chance of knowing."

Oliver did not answer.

"Remember, Oliver. You are turning thirty in less than a year," Moira added.

At that reminder, Oliver answered with hesitation, "I… I can't…"

"Of course, you can, my beautiful boy," Moira begged to disagree. "I know it's been a few years, and maybe your ability to charm a girl has become a tad bit rusty these days. But Felicity… Oliver, she's an amazing young woman."

Oliver remained quiet. He couldn't agree with his mother more. It wasn't just about the ultimatum in his father's will. It was more about Felicity being a wonderful woman – a woman that he thought he didn't deserve. He wasn't even sure if he still had it in him to woo the most amazing girl he's ever had the pleasure of knowing. He'd been so mean to every human being outside of his family for so long, that he felt like he had forgotten how to act in a civilized manner. How could he even behave in a romantic way to a very attractive, kind-hearted girl?

"Your father…" Moira continued, leaning towards her son and whispering, "Robert would have loved her."

At the mention of his father's name, Oliver's heart softened at last. It had been too late when he had finally resolved to forgive and be forgiven. _This_ was something he could still do to honor his father's memory, to ensure his family's legacy, to finally find some happiness in this life. All he had to do was try. Sure, he had everything to lose if he failed, but he also realized that he had everything to gain if he could get her to love someone like him.

Fortunately, Felicity obliged him an hour later.

After letting their dinner settle in their stomachs, Oliver asked her to dance with him, and she did. He set his expectation low, aiming for just one dance. But once they found their rhythm, they danced the night away. They swayed to the music of the brass band, awkwardly holding each other at first. Yet as one song flowed to the next, they drew closer and closer, until Felicity's head finally rested on Oliver's chest, snugly tucked under his chin. Her hands rested on his shoulders, once or twice rubbing up and down his crisp tux. His hands gently rested on her lower back, keeping her close to him. They could dance all night and not care about anything else except each other, and that feeling was mutual, as their glowing faces could attest to.

They danced, forgetting that there were other couples on the dance floor, oblivious to the fact that everyone else inside the ballroom (including the reporters and photographers) were watching them the entire evening with mixed reactions. Moira and Thea, Tommy and Laurel, Diggle and Lyla were all happy to see Oliver beaming, for they hadn't seen him smile in a very long time. Roy Harper was clueless. Isabel Rochev was green with envy. Other guests were intrigued, curious as to who the blonde beauty in Oliver Queen's arms was. The reporters were having a field day, excitedly texting their editors to stop the presses and wait for front-page tabloid news that they were writing on the spot. The paparazzi were already selling the photographs they took of the Queen heir dancing with the nameless girl in a gold dress as if they were sweethearts.

In the days that followed, Oliver and Felicity began to treat each other fondly, carrying on in the workplace as friends with a mutual understanding that something had indeed shifted between them that night at the fundraiser. Oliver was smiling more. Felicity's doubts about having taken the job in QC faded away. They were growing so close fast, and everyone who cared about them was happy about it. Even after the photo of them dancing had made it to the front page of tabloids the day after the auction with the headline, "Queen heir smiling again," Oliver and Felicity felt comfortable with each other. Surprisingly, they did not care so much that people around them were noticing it, too.

Not until the day the tabloids came out with another front-page news that was not so pleasant as the first one. "Sleeping her way to the top," it had said. The headline in big, bold letters was accompanied by a stolen shot of Felicity coming out of QC's main entrance holding hands with Oliver, the company's logo bearing his family's name emphasized in the background. The reporter who had written the article claimed to have interviewed an anonymous yet reliable source from within the company.

Felicity had not even read the article yet when her mother called early in the morning, telling her that her father had suffered another stroke after seeing the entertainment news headline that day. Noah was in critical condition. Felicity needed to go home. She boarded a commercial flight without telling Oliver, her heart bleeding over the possibility that she might have to let go of the two most significant men in her life so soon.

By the time Oliver learned from her assistant that she had left for Vegas, her flight had already left.

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 **A/N: I hope you liked this update? Do tell if you did! :-) I went with the idea that Moira Queen would have shipped Olicity, given the family's back story in this fic. Most fics I've read always portray her the way the show did, with her and Felicity coming off on the wrong footing. It was too bad. If Moira had had the chance to get to know Felicity through and through, I think she would have liked Felicity for a daughter-in-law, because Moira had always wanted what was best for her son.**

 **The inspiration for the scene at the auction was, of course, episode 1x15 "Dodger." I have always thought that the moment when Oliver looked up and saw Felicity in her gold dress from afar was the very first time that he began to see her as an attractive woman. When he saw her in his father's office talking to his picture and then to herself, he was curiously intrigued by her. Later on when he saw her in her cubicle at the IT office, he was fondly amused by her. But I think that it was only when he saw her that night at the auction that he began to be attracted to her and to see her as a truly beautiful woman.**

 **Just one more chapter after this. Hope you stick around!**

 **In case it wasn't obvious, this is how I wanted the Beauty and the Beast characters to be portrayed by the Arrow cast -**  
 **Felicity Smoak as Belle**  
 **Oliver Queen as The Beast/The Prince**  
 **Noah Kuttler as Maurice**  
 **Robert Queen as the Enchantress that taught the Prince his lesson**  
 **Moira Queen as Mrs. Potts**  
 **Thea Queen as Chip**  
 **John Diggle as Cogsworth**  
 **Tommy Merlyn as Lumiere**  
 **Isabel Rochev as Gaston (Ha! Thought it would be nice for her as villainess to portray a male villain.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Something There That Wasn't There Before)**

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

 **A/N: So, here is the final chapter. I hope it makes you smile.**

 **Summary: This is the aftermath of the fallout between Oliver and Felicity. Do they get their happily ever after?**

* * *

Noah Kuttler had regained consciousness the day after Felicity flew in from Starling City, and the first thing that he had said to his daughter was, "I am so sorry, my dear. I should have seen this coming. The last thing I wanted was for you to get hurt." He had apologized for putting his daughter in a position where she would inevitably become the object of awful office gossip and negative publicity, simply because he had obliged her to take over his job at Queen Consolidated.

Felicity's heart ached. Her father lay in a hospital bed, having survived another serious stroke that rendered his right arm paralyzed, and yet, he was still concerned for _her_ well-being instead of his own. Maybe he had changed after all those years that had caused her mother to consider the possibility of settling down with him. As far back as Felicity could remember, Noah had always been a wonderful man, a wonderful father. She could not imagine him having even one mean bone in his body. When she was a little girl, Felicity had overheard Noah once telling Donna that being a part of Felicity's life had changed things in his, for the better, for the long haul.

In the hospital, Noah confessed that he should have warned Felicity about the conniving vulture of a woman that was Isabel Rochev. Even when Robert Queen was still alive, he had been privy to Isabel's schemes. Her powers of seduction had already ensnared the elder and the younger Queen men. After Robert Queen's death, Isabel had tried to entice Walter Steele as well, but when her charms had failed on the acting CEO, she had turned on Noah himself. Upon learning this, Felicity's abhorrence of the woman in question had all the more increased. It was no longer just about Isabel spreading rumors and broadcasting lies about her (and Oliver) to the media; it became a repulsion due to the woman's effrontery in the workplace and her brazen disregard for decency… of epic proportions.

How could she go back to Starling after this? How could she set foot in QC again?

Felicity was not one to easily back down from a fight, especially if she was in the right. But this time, it was different. It wasn't just her name that was tainted. Her relationship with Oliver had been blemished. If it was just about her, she'd easily find the courage to go back, confront the woman, and set the record straight in the eyes of everyone that mattered in the company. But she was concerned about Oliver. She thought that if she went back, the media would not get off his back. They'd hound him until they get juicy, scandalous rumors, and then they'd come back for more. The paparazzi would stalk him (and her), take pictures of them together whenever and wherever, and sell their photographs to the highest-bidding newspaper or television network, which, in turn, will maliciously use said photos out of context.

Oliver was just beginning to turn his life around. He didn't need all the bad press. After everything he'd been through, he deserved a second chance at being happy and fulfilled in life. He didn't deserve to be feasted upon, and she couldn't let mean, greedy people devour him. She then realized that she already cared about Oliver that much. Perhaps, there was more to it than that, she thought.

Oliver had tried to get in touch with her multiple times since she left for Vegas, but she had not texted back or returned any of his calls. First, he had asked how her dad was doing, to which she had replied curtly, "Recovering." She didn't know what else to say. When he had texted her several times after that, she hadn't responded anymore. It seemed like she was the one that needed recovery more.

After four days, she got a series of texts from Thea Queen.

" _Hi! Mr. Diggle gave me your number."_

" _Because my brother wouldn't."_

" _I hope that's okay?"_

" _I hope your dad is better now."_ That was the only time Felicity had texted back. "He is," she had said.

" _Good to know. Your assistant said that you're on indefinite leave. When are you coming back?"_

" _Are you coming back?"_

" _I hope you're coming back. We miss you already."_

Five minutes later, Thea texted, _"And by we, I meant Ollie and the rest of us. Especially Ollie."_

" _He's been broody and moody since you left. I'd hate for him to go back to the way he was."_

" _Felicity?"_ She still had not responded.

" _Please come back."_

" _PLEASE."_

" _You're the best thing that's ever happened to my brother. To us. In a very long time."_

" _Just… please think about what I said."_

" _Feel free to text or call when you're ready."_

" _Okay?"_

Felicity felt bad about ignoring Oliver, even worse that she had not replied to Thea's messages. The young lady was really trying to bridge the gap. Felicity really did not want to hurt the sweet girl who only meant well. She really did not want to hurt Oliver, but weighing her options, she thought that the pain of the moment was necessary to protect him from long-term devastation if things didn't work out between them.

Truth be told, Felicity was hurting, too. She missed him. Tremendously.

At nights, she cried herself to sleep when she went home from the hospital to an empty house. Donna was the one that stayed with her dad at night, so she had the house all to herself. The pink-painted walls of her bedroom were the only witnesses to the bitter sobs that she let out at night, alone.

* * *

It had been a week since she left Starling. She was supposed to be back in the hospital to help her mother Donna because Noah was going to be discharged that day. But, she overslept. It was the alarm's fault.

She lazily stepped into her bathroom and looked at her ghastly appearance in the mirror. Her hair was disheveled. Her eyes were puffy from having fallen asleep while crying her heart out once again, and underneath them were dark circles that she was going to have a hard time concealing with make-up. She looked pathetic. She felt pathetic. She missed Oliver a lot.

"You could just all him, Smoak," she scolded herself. In all honesty, she'd thought about texting Oliver in the last couple of days and explaining to him why she had been avoiding him, but she had always chickened out. She feared that any kind of apology for ignoring him wouldn't work at this point. She feared that there was no going back and undoing the damage that had been done. Not that it was entirely her fault, right? It all began with Isabel, and then the rest of the blame had to be the media's. "Ugh," she groaned, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "Get it together," she told herself.

She washed her face, hoping that the soap and cold water would also wash away all the negative thoughts and emotions that had been clouding her judgment for days. As she wiped her face with a fresh, clean towel, she heard her phone ringing. "Who could that be?" she wondered. She thought it could be her mother asking her to bring something to the hospital when she came, so she hurriedly walked back into her room to answer the call.

When she saw that the caller ID was from an unfamiliar number, she was puzzled. "Hello? This is Felicity Smoak. Who is this?" she asked the caller.

"Good morning, Ms. Smoak," the woman at the other end of the line spoke. "This is Moira Queen. I was wondering how your father is doing?"

Felicity was intrigued. The Moira Queen, matriarch of the Queen empire, had called _her_ personally. To ask about her dad's condition. That was new.

"Good morning to you, too, Mrs. Queen. My father is doing much better and is supposed to be discharged from the hospital today. Thank you for asking," Felicity replied. Her hand gripped her phone more tightly than she normally did. "What could the woman (who happens to be Oliver's mother) possibly want?" she wondered. Something inside her prompted her to ask, "Is there anything else I could help you with?"

"Yes, there is, as a matter of fact," replied Moira. "I hope this is not a bad time? I have something important that I need to discuss with you. I was also wondering when you would be back. In the office, I mean. Oliver could really use your help right now. I think that your presence alone would make a big difference."

"Mrs. Queen, I'm afraid I don't get exactly what you mean."

"You see, since you left and that news article about you and my son came out…" Felicity could hear Moira taking a deep breath. "…Ms. Rochev has somehow managed to persuade the members of the Board that Oliver was unfit to assume leadership of the company. She has accused him of crossing ethical boundaries when he and you…"

Moira paused, thinking of the right words to use and not to use to express what she wanted to say. She did not want to say anything that would make Felicity uncomfortable or give the wrong impression that she believed the rumors and fake news about her son having intimate relations with Felicity. "I think you know what I am referring to, Ms Smoak."

There was a moment of silence between them. The tension in the air made Felicity want to sit down on her bed. As soon as she did, Moira spoke again.

"The long and short of it is that Ms. Rochev seems to have succeeded in convincing the Board to force Oliver to resign as VP, arguing that his very controversial personal life puts the company in bad light. She said that Oliver drags the company down with him because of his questionable moral choices. She doubted that my son could ever be capable of filling in his father's shoes when he couldn't even discipline himself. She's one to talk. Unfortunately, as you know, my son's track record easily corroborates that."

"Mrs. Queen, Oliver is old enough to make his own decisions. I don't understand what all of this has to do with me," Felicity remarked, unsure of what to think of all this.

Moira was quick to respond. "This has _everything_ to do with you, Felicity." Felicity was quick to notice that Moira had elected to call her by her first name now.

"Isabel went as far as accusing Oliver of driving you away. During a Board meeting, she blamed my son for the imminent possibility that the company was going to lose the head of the Applied Sciences Division at a time when several technological breakthroughs are due for patenting and production."

"And you want me to help, how?" Felicity asked.

"Ms. Smoak, my son has been picking up the shattered pieces of his life for some years now. I don't know what he or my daughter Thea has told you, or what you have found out about our family on your own. But, Oliver has suffered so much for so long, because of the choices that my husband and I have made through the years. He deserves a second chance. Don't you agree?"

"Since you came along and partnered with him at the company, things have changed. _He_ 's changed. So much. Especially these past few weeks since you two became friends. I don't buy the lies that other people have been fabricating about you and Oliver. What I believe in, is that the influence you have on my son is a positive one, and that you can convince him to change his mind."

"Change his mind about what?" Felicity asked again. She heard Moira heave out a heavy sigh.

The older woman continued after composing herself. "Oliver has been working very hard to become a better person. He's been working very hard for the company, and for the first time in his life, he has been making his family and friends proud. It saddens me that one malicious, maleficent woman can destroy all that. I mean, I expected no less from Isabel Rochev when it comes to persuading those gullible opportunists at the Board to side with her on this. But, I wasn't expecting my son to have believed her, too."

"What do you mean?" Now Felicity was concerned.

"Isabel seems to have convinced Oliver, as well – that he didn't deserve the position he held now as VP, _and_ the position that his father vacated, which he is supposed to occupy soon. Two days ago, I learned from Mr. Diggle that Oliver had been contemplating on resigning. This morning, I passed by his study and chanced upon him composing a letter of resignation dated for tomorrow, Monday. I was hoping, you would call him and convince him to change his mind. Better yet, would you fly back to Starling and talk to him before it's too late?"

"Mrs. Queen, I don't think there's anything I can say that you haven't already told him."

"That's just it. Oliver doesn't know that I know what he's about to do. And even if he did, I wouldn't dare step in. He's spent his life for the most part living under our shadow – his father's and mine – trying desperately to measure up to our expectations. If _I_ try to reason with him, I might just end up pushing him further away. He'll think I only want him to become CEO for selfish reasons. That is why I was hoping that _you_ would try."

"What makes you so sure that he will even listen to me?" Felicity asked out of curiosity.

"Felicity, I see the way you look at him," Moira reasoned kindly, "and, oh my dear, you should see the way he looks at you. He trusts you more than anyone, now perhaps even more than his own flesh and blood." Moira would have even verbalized that she thinks Oliver loves Felicity already, but she did not want to complicate things right now. If she pushed any further, Felicity might clam up altogether instead of yielding to her request.

Felicity, on the other hand, was on the verge of tears. The things that Moira had said about her, about her son, and about his relationship with her – all of it was just too much and too overwhelming to think about, let alone respond to. What was she supposed to say? _Thanks, it's nice to know you think so highly of me?_ Did Oliver really trust her this much? Was it possible that he, too, cared about her the same way she cared about him?

"Mrs. Queen, I… I…"

Moira sensed Felicity's trepidation, so she saved the younger woman from having to give her a prompt answer right then. "Think about it, Ms. Smoak. Just remember, he's most likely turning in his resignation first thing tomorrow morning. If you won't do it for the company, or for me, then please… do it for Oliver."

* * *

Oliver dragged his feet out of the elevator when it dinged and its doors opened to the executive floor of the QC tower. The piece of paper felt like a ton of bricks in his hand. He used to hate working in his family's company, but working with Felicity had changed that. He didn't want to resign, he just felt like he needed to. It was the wise and honorable thing to do, before he spiraled down into despair and regressed to his old shameful ways. Those ways that might tear down the company that his father had built for decades. The ones that might humiliate his family's name like many times before. The same ones that might ruin the reputation of a brilliant, amazing, pure-hearted woman named Felicity Smoak – whom he happened to miss so much.

In the last several days, he'd been seeing everything in the world in monochromatic shades of black and grey. Gone were the pink lips, the rosy cheeks, the painted fingernails in hues of blue or green or purple. Gone were the dark-rimmed, two-toned glasses and the golden locks of blonde that swayed when she moved. Gone were the red four-inch heels that tapped on the granite tiles of the hallway or his marble office floor. Gone was the magic rainbow that brightened his day because of Felicity's smiles, excessive babbling, and embarrassing yet adorable innuendos.

Maybe Isabel was right. He didn't deserve to walk in his father's shoes. He tried, but he wasn't good enough. Maybe he really was not cut out to lead this tech empire. Moreover, Oliver thought he was worse than Robert Queen, and he would only end up hurting Felicity just as his dad hurt his mom. He and Felicity weren't even together yet, and he had already dragged her name down the sewers because he had failed to protect her from his past, and from predators like Isabel and the paparazzi.

He didn't deserve her.

That thought had driven him to write a letter of resignation yesterday. It had driven him to print it out and hand it personally to Walter Steele's office today. It had caused him to ignore Diggle's plea that he reconsider his decision en route to QC. Never mind if he celebrates his 30th birthday unmarried. He was used to being a lonely bachelor by now. It saddened and pained him even more that his mother and sister would have to suffer the consequences of him messing up his life and their future. What respectable woman in her right mind would consider giving him a second look after the scandal, after his failure to assume leadership of the company? The whole world will just remember Oliver Queen as the billionaire playboy who never amounted to anything. Or, he will just end up forgotten. Alone.

She didn't deserve someone like him. She deserved better.

* * *

Approaching Walter Steele's office, Oliver noticed that the secretary was not at her desk. He looked at his watch. 7:55 a.m. He was five minutes early. Oh… Maybe he had changed for the better after all. He also noticed that Walter's office door was already open. He might as well wait for him in there, so he let himself in.

As soon as Oliver walked into the office of the interim President and CEO, he saw that someone was already seated behind the desk, back towards him, and looking out the vast floor-to-ceiling glass wall that gave a panoramic view of the Starling City skyline.

"Walter, I'm glad you're-"

The person seated behind the desk turned in the classy ergonomic office chair to face him.

"Felicity?" he muttered. Oliver was dumbfounded, not expecting to see _her,_ of all people, on the day he was tendering his resignation. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his forehead crinkled.

"I hear you're about to make a huge mistake, so I'm here to make sure you don't. That's what," Felicity answered, her voice not so loud, but firm. It took her every ounce of courage to come see him and speak to him, but he didn't need to know that.

Oliver looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. Seeing Felicity again after several, miserable days… The letter suddenly didn't feel quite as heavy as it was when he came out of the elevator just a minute ago.

"How did you know?" he asked again.

"Oliver…" Felicity sighed, and then she stood up and folded her arms in front of her chest. "It doesn't matter how I found out. What matters is whether or not you truly believe that what you wrote in that letter is what you really have to do."

Those were a lot of words and clauses. Oliver wasn't sure he even understood what she had just said. His brain seemed to have malfunctioned, now that his eyes were focused on her beautiful face and his heart was skipping beats every second or two. To him, words did not matter at the moment. Felicity's presence did. He still couldn't believe she was standing there in front of him. It felt surreal.

"Oliver?"

"Hmm?"

Felicity came out from behind the desk and walked towards him. He wasn't at all prepared to see that the black pencil skirt she wore was accentuated by a slit up the middle in the front, revealing both her legs up to mid-thigh. As far as he was concerned, he was done for.

Felicity stopped and stood a few feet in front of him and asked, "Oliver, why are you doing this?"

"I… I don't know," he replied. Felicity glared at him, and then her eyes narrowed, studying the confused expression on his face. "I'm not good enough to run this company. I will never be." He was obviously brooding.

"And what makes you say that?"

"I mess things up. I always do."

"Always?"

Oliver nodded. "I do well for a time, and then I mess up again."

"Name one time in the past several months," Felicity challenged him.

There was silence for almost a minute.

" _We_ were doing well, running the Applied Sciences Division. And then I just had to drag your good name down with me, because… everybody knows Oliver Queen is bad news."

" _You_ didn't do that. Isabel did. The press did."

"Isabel?"

"Oh please, Oliver! Don't give me that crap! You, of all people, should know what that woman is capable of. It doesn't take a genius – although I am one – to figure that out. Who else in the company could have started that rumor of me sleeping with you to get ahead? Wow, that is one image I'd like to get out of my head right now." Felicity huffed in embarrassment and rolled her eyes.

For the first time in days, Oliver's lips turned up for a smile.

Felicity noticed it immediately, and she, too, began to smile. She took two baby steps towards him and said, "Seriously, Oliver… Please don't tell me that you believe Isabel's cheap tricks. And you can't let public opinion determine who you are and who you can be." She realized that she was also preaching to herself.

"Honestly speaking, I don't even know who I am anymore." Oliver shrugged in frustration.

"I know who you are," she told him, looking straight into his eyes. "Whether you're wearing a formal suit in the office while we work, or you're wearing a gorgeous tux and dancing with me, you are the man that I…" She hesitated, unsure of what she should say. "You are the man that I… believe in."

She believed in him. He had hoped that she would tell him that she cared about him. That she loved him. She hadn't said so, but he wasn't disappointed. Because he trusted her. And knowing now that she trusted him too? It meant the world to him.

The thought gave him a sudden boost of confidence, enough to close the gap between them and ask her, "Is that all I am to you?"

Suddenly, Felicity couldn't breathe. Oliver was standing so close to her, giving her that look of adoration. It made her chest tighten and her stomach flutter. It was just like when they had danced at the fundraiser a few weeks ago, when he had held her in his arms and tucked her blonde head under his chin. How she wished he'd pull her in for a hug right now and wrap her in his arms once again, to end the misery that she had brought upon herself in the past days.

"Felicity…" he whispered her name, as he took one last step and granted her wish. The next thing she knew, she was enveloped in his embrace.

"I missed you so much," Oliver told her.

"I missed you, too," she responded. "I'm so sorry for not calling you back. It was foolish of me. We are friends after all, aren't we?"

"No," Oliver replied, and his answer made her stiffen, made her pull back a little from his embrace. When she looked up at him with questioning eyes, he told her, "I don't want to be just friends with you. I love you, Felicity."

"What?" she asked with eyes as wide as saucers. To say that Felicity was shocked was an understatement.

"I love you. I never thought I was capable of really loving someone, but now I do. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life changing for the better to be with you."

Felicity's heart skipped a beat. Oliver had told her three times that he loved her.

A lone tear escaped the corner of her eye and started to roll down her cheek. "I… I don't know what to say…" Her voice quivered. She was too happy, too elated to speak.

Oliver grinned. "Well, you can start by saying that you love me, too. Do you?" He already saw in her eyes that she was completely in love with him, but he was learning how to be a gentleman now, so he still felt that he had to ask politely.

Felicity nodded slowly, still speechless.

"I can't hear you," he teased her, whispering as he began to lower his head down to hers. He was aiming for her lips, and he certainly wished she would finally give him a more concrete declaration before he captured those pink pillow mountains with his own.

"I love you, Oliver Queen."

At last – a certifiable reason to kiss the blonde beauty that had captured his heart in so short a time.

When they broke the kiss for air and pulled back, Felicity asked him, "So, what are you going to do about that stupid letter now?"

Oliver realized that he no longer held the resignation letter in his hand. He must have dropped it unawares while kissing her. He smiled. "What letter?"

* * *

One month before his 30th birthday, Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak tied the knot. One week after they returned from their honeymoon, he took on the position of President and CEO of Queen Consolidated. His family and friends were proud of him, but none was prouder than his wife – the beautiful belle whose love had helped transform a hideous beast into a loving, respectable human being.

THE END

* * *

 **A/N: So, how did you like this modern Olicity AU fairy tale? Do tell. Reviews and constructive comments help fuel writers like me to keep going.**

 **Would you like more of this type of AU? I have a few more ideas tucked away somewhere - one for Snow White, one for Cinderella, and another for Mulan. Who knows? I might even take suggestions and requests. :-) Let me know.**


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